The four-county Portage River Watershed has a new watershed coordinator. Beth Landers has stepped in to the role. She is housed at Wood Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and is based in Bowling Green.

Ms. Landers comes from eastern Ohio. She has a bachelor’s in environmental science and a Master of Science in Environmental Education. She was previously in the Lake SWCD where she focused on education in schools. In her work in the Portage area she will be working with all residents of the watershed, urban and rural, adults and children.

As a person new to the region, she has been learning her new territory and meeting residents in Hancock, Wood, Ottawa, and Sandusky counties. In her spare time, she has been pursuing her hobby of geocaching in the region. Ms. Landers will be attending regular meetings of the Portage River Basin Council (next meeting, August 1) and working with TMACOG’s Kurt Erichsen on public meetings regarding the update to the Portage River Watershed Plan (dates TBD). Ms. Landers will be working at several public events this summer, sharing information about the Portage with interested people and learning more about the concerns of area residents.

She said, “I am really looking forward to putting good practices into action in the watershed and making an impact on water quality.” She is glad to be working in a more rural area “where I can see and enjoy the open spaces.”